album art

Artist:

Leonard Cohen

Song:

Hallelujah

Album: 

The Essential Leonard Cohen

Year: 

2002
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About The Artist

Montreal's Leonard Cohen was a well-respected poet and novelist before he ever entered the songwriting fray in the 1960s. His dark, poetic vision...
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kwalz | MEMORY FROM 2000

Every Desperate Mood

LOCATION: Where I Was , Midwest

YEAR: 2000

TAGS: Relationships

PUBLISHED: February 21, 2008

"Maybe there's a god above,
but all I've ever learned from love
is how to shoot at someone
who out drew you."

The first time I heard that phrase was when I was sorely angry with a boy, who seemed intent on emotional destruction. I couldn't get it right with this guy, I stopped wanting to, and I never did.

I was in a coffee shop studying. I occasionally wake up to lyrics. That is to say, I can be completely oblivious to the music playing, but I'll tune in to a line. There's a Pete Yorn song that has a line I can't ever seem to ignore.

This time it was the line from "Hallelujah." I stared into space for twenty minutes after I heard it, as I realized that the relationship I was in was teaching me exactly that--pre-emptive emotional strikes, desperate bids for relationship equality. And I couldn't do it anymore, because I was not going to become that person.

I love the many versions of this song, but Cohen's still gets to me and reminds me of things the others don't. I listen to it when I feel a little crazy, a little desperate, a little trapped. It's a wonderful reminder of the bullet I dodged.

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COMMENTS (3)
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David said: You had me at Leonard. Wonderful song and if you also haven't heard the version by Jeff Buckley from his album 'Grace', you should definitely seek it out. Bono has also covered "Hallelujah", but Leonard's and Jeff's are sublime. Great memories... keep writing. (2/21/2008)

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Kris10 said: I whole-heartedly agree with David. LOVE Cohen. His spoken word stuff is great, too. And Buckley's version of this song gets me every time. I get emotional, but in a great way. (2/26/2008)

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Catherine Wagley said: I love Cohen too. But the cruelty of his music--this song in particular--always gets to me. His partly intoxicating, partly misogynistic music makes me feel a little dirty. (3/22/2008)

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